Out On The Prowl
by omegatrinity
Summary: Even Xemnas has his bad days. Xaldin is the victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.


**Out On the Prowl**

Despite not having the heart to show emotions, when Xemnas was mad he was _mad_. Xemnas liked to think that he hid it well, kept it bottled up inside and used it towards his purpose, that when he went off on someone it was for a very good reason, he was a calm composed person –outbursts did _not_ happen. But when the Superior was in one of his moods The Castle That Never Was was suddenly vacant, the rest of the members made sure that they were scarce.

There was always the rare unfortunate circumstance where one would be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Where Xemnas would come storming up to that sad victim of fate and –for the next twenty minutes- go off on a verbal rampage, everything was wrong, everything was their fault, they were lucky if Xemnas didn't _rip_ their non-existent heart out.

After everyone had experienced this at least once, the members of Organization XIII –save maybe Saix- had unanimously decided to call the days of the Superior's little tirades days when he was "out on the prowl."

When Xemnas caught wind of this phrase, it only managed to make him angrier –Nobodies don't have to go "out on the prowl" because they don't _feel_; they don't have _hearts_. The other members would have found this more convincing if Xemnas didn't get angry at least once a day.

As luck would have it Xaldin was on his way down the corridor, calmly sauntering forward when he caught eye of Xemnas. If the blatant scowl hadn't given it away, the fact that Xemnas' whole upper body was at a slight slant forward, his chest puffed out, hands balled into fists beneath his black coat. Xaldin mentally slapped himself –he should've just stayed in his quarters, he'd noticed the Superior's mood earlier that morning; the loud furious "Mmmm!" would've tipped even the dumbest man off.

It was common knowledge throughout the Organization that when Xemnas was mad there was always that familiar groan of displease, loud enough so that every Nobody in the castle could hear, almost as if to give warning.

Xaldin had heard it this morning, had seen all the signs that Xemnas was obviously _not_ in a good mood today, and yet here he was.

"Do you know what _this_ is, III?" Xemnas seethed through his teeth, holding up one gloved finger to Xaldin's face.

"Dust, sir." Indeed, Xemnas' finger was coated in a light film of dust; dust that he, Xaldin assumed, found on his way to the hallway to find a victim.

Xaldin could've argued, could've protested that it wasn't his chore that week, that Demyx was the one who was supposed to be dusting, that just because he can't reach all nooks of the castle wasn't IX's fault. But Xemnas was on a yelling roll, and even though Xaldin had tuned out most of the words to respond in well timed nods and various placements of "Yes, sir," he knew he would be standing with the Superior's contorted face for the rest of the hour.

"-and the washing machines on the fourth floor are _not functioning._ I had to use the ones in the basement and you _know_ how XI uses that area for-"

Xaldin could see Roxas and Luxord from the corner, heads peering over the edge of the wall to see what was Xemnas' problem today.

"-that _ridiculous _purple feline from Wonderland, I was up for hours and IX got caught crossing the border to Olympus, if he didn't think that..._Hercules_ was so amazing maybe he wouldn't-"

Xemnas' anger had turned into exasperation a long time ago, and Xaldin nearly killed himself when he saw Luxord whisper something to Roxas, the both of them laughed quietly, then disappeared. Xaldin supposed that he was constantly being blamed for the Superior's problems because of all the members he rarely reacted to _anything_, that perhaps it was his quiet demeanor or the low mocking tone he naturally had that always had Xemnas taking his anger out on him. Either way, Xemnas was doomed to have bad days for the rest of his non-existence just as the members of Organization XIII were doomed to experience them with their beloved Superior, whether they were willing to or not.


End file.
